This Wilmington market owner took care of his community. How he created this local legacy

A Wilmington neighborhood has lost a stalwart of the community. 

Late last month, Rash Aba-Ashan – longtime proprietor of Rash’s Food Market and Rash’s Beauty Supply – was laid to rest in a solemn observance attended by a large crowd, both Muslim and non-Muslim alike, according to his family. 

Originally from Ethiopia, a young Aba-Ashan settled in Delaware in the 1980s and opened Rash's Food Market on Wilmington's Market Street in 1990. While no one in his family could pinpoint exactly how old Aba-Ashan was at the time of his death, he quickly became a popular figure on the city's northside, well-known and respected for his generosity and spirit. 

Former state Rep. Charles Potter Jr. described his friend as “a community leader, supporter, a man of high integrity, honesty, and most of all, caring.”

He said when he was a city councilman, Aba-Ashan would not only contribute food and water to community engagement events, but he would attend and actively encourage all people from the neighborhood to come together, get involved and make things better.

“He understood that if you treated people like people, the business would come,” Potter said. 

Rash’s Food Market quickly became more than a place of business. It served as a de facto community meeting place. Most days Rash would hold court outside of his store having coffee and conversation with customers, friends and family. After a while, some customers became friends, and some friends became family.

Long before Aba-Ashan became the respected father and businessman that he is known as today, retired Wilmington Police Master Cpl. Cynthia Dodson knew him from their days of working together at the Chrysler plant in Newark and from his store in Philadelphia.

When she found out her old friend opened a store in her neighborhood, she began to visit frequently and occasionally helped in the store. If people didn’t have enough money to pay for their items, “he would let them go to pay him back later,” Dodson said.

Eventually, the pair’s friendship deepened and she became like a “sister” to him. He even anointed her with an "African" name, Sadiya. Later, after the birth of his two sons, Hussein and Mohamed, she affectionately became their "Aunt."

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Aba-Ashan’s embrace of everyone was demonstrated whether he knew someone personally or not. He helped anyone who was down on their luck or needed a second chance.

“My father had a house on 29th and two apartments that he opened to anybody,” said his son, Hussein Aba. “They didn’t need to pay rent, food, nothing. He always supplied everything. Those houses were open to anybody that was in distress.”

Over the years, Delaware Online/The News Journal documented some of the assistance Aba-Ashan provided, including donating funds to assist funeral costs and hiring newly arrived immigrants.  

Many times, families asked Aba-Ashan for assistance with the repast expenses and he responded charitably.

“Every funeral, he would donate sodas, paper plates, cups, whatever they needed, money,” his son said.

The elder Aba-Ashan made sure to include his sons in the personal delivery of these donations.

“I remember all my life – from taking (sodas), putting them in a van, and going from house to house,” Aba said.

Eventually, word got out so when anyone had a funeral, many customers would already know they could come to Rash’s Food Market and take what they wanted.

“He’d just tell them, ‘Take a shopping cart and do your thing,’ you know?'" Aba said. "And he helped a lot of people.”

He also allowed families to place a donation jar on his counter and would double whatever was in it, said employee Mohammed Derwish.

This financial support extended to his mosque, family, and his community back in Ethiopia. Aba recalled a trip to Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, that he made with his father in 2014 to deliver laptops and supplies for a school his father funded. 

Helping everyone was who he was – “That was him. That's what comforted him,” said Aba.

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By the time Aba-Ashan’s health began to decline, he had built several businesses, given many others the chance to start theirs, and was supporting mosques, schools and many families.

When he needed to recuperate, he moved to Saudi Arabia to stay with his sister. She lives 30 minutes from Mecca and Aba-Ashan was able to pilgrim for Umrah, an opportunity for Muslims to seek forgiveness, relief from burdens, and pray for prosperity.

After a year in Saudi Arabia, Aba-Ashan was in poor health and came home. The next week, he was in the hospital where he peacefully died surrounded by his family and friends.

Aba-Ashan was laid to rest at Haven Memorial Cemetery in Chester, Pennsylvania, after a traditional Muslim ceremony.

“He's going to be sorely missed in the community,” Potter said, before quickly adding, “but he's got his sons to carry on that legacy.”

Contact reporter Anitra Johnson with tips at ajohnson@delawareonline.com or 302-379-5786.